28 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



which kind, Lucian maketh a merry description of the philo 

 sopher that the great lady took to ride with her in her coach, 

 and would needs have him carry her little dog, which 1 he 

 doing officiously and yet uncomely, the page scoffed and said, 

 &quot; That he doubted the philosopher of a Stoic would turn to be 

 a Cynic.&quot; But, above all the rest, the gross and palpable 

 flattery whereunto many not unlearned have abased and abused 

 their wits and pens, turning (as Du Bartas saith) Hecuba into 

 Helena, and Faustina into Lucretia, hath most diminished the 

 price and estimation of learning. Neither is the modern dedi 

 cation of books and writings, as to patrons, to be commended, 

 for that books (such as are worthy the name of books) ought 

 to have no patrons but truth and reason. And the ancient 

 custom was to dedicate them only to private and equal friends, 

 or to entitle the books with their names ; or if to kings and 

 great persons, it was to some such as the argument of the 

 book was fit and proper for ; but these and the like courses may 

 deserve rather reprehension than defence. 



(10) Not that I can tax or condemn the morigeration or 

 application of learned men to men in fortune. For the answer 

 was good that Diogenes made to one that asked him in 

 mockery, &quot;How it came to pass that philosophers were the 

 followers of rich men, and not rich men of philosophers?&quot; 

 He answered soberly, and yet sharply, &quot; Because the one sort 

 knew what they had need of, and the other did not.&quot; And of 

 the like nature wat the answer which Aristippus made, when 

 having a petition to Dionysius, and no ear given to him, he 

 fell down at his feet, whereupon Dionysius stayed and gave 

 him the hearing, and granted it ; and afterwards some person, 

 tender on the behalf of philosophy, reproved Aristippus that 

 he would offer the profession of philosophy such an indignity 

 as for a private suit to fall at a tyrant s feet ; but he answered, 

 &quot; It was not his fault, but it was the fault of Dionysius, that 

 had his ears in his feet. &quot; Neither was it accounted weakness, 

 but discretion, in him that would not dispute his best with 

 Adrianus Caesar, excusing himself, &quot;That it was reason to 

 yield to him that commanded thirty legions.&quot; These and the 

 like applications, and stooping to points of necessity and con 

 venience, cannot be disallowed ; for though they may have 

 some outward baseness, yet in a judgment truly made they are 

 to be accounted submissions to the occasion and not to the 

 person. 



IV. (1) Now I proceed to those errors and vanities which 

 have intervened amongst the studies themselves of the learned, 

 which is that which is principal and proper to the present 



